WEBVTT 00:00:09.836 --> 00:00:15.410 There was a very loud voice from the public asking us to protect more areas in the Gulf of Mexico. 00:00:15.610 --> 00:00:18.760 But in order for us to put boundaries around these areas, 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:25.120 we really need to do some groundtruthing and get more information about the communities on the seafloor and 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:32.400 really help us make those management decisions as to whether or not these areas do warrant additional protection. 00:00:34.822 --> 00:00:38.110 The Gulf of Mexico is considered relatively well studied, 00:00:38.310 --> 00:00:43.000 but most people don't realize that the vast majority of the Gulf of Mexico is actually very deep waters. 00:00:45.696 --> 00:00:53.200 The whole West Florida Escarpment and in this area is also one of the least-explored of the Gulf and also the least exploited. 00:00:55.252 --> 00:00:57.580 Oil and gas drilling is not permitted over here. 00:00:57.780 --> 00:01:00.320 That's why this is a poorly understood area. 00:01:03.579 --> 00:01:08.740 When we come back here, I always expect to see all of the species that I'm most familiar with. 00:01:08.940 --> 00:01:13.260 I've really been kind of surprised at how many new things that we're seeing. 00:01:13.460 --> 00:01:20.610 This is just further testament to how bottomless the deep sea is in terms of its many surprises and its many unusual secrets.